Political activist and lawyer Deji Adeyanju has declared that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar remains the most likely candidate to secure the presidential ticket of any emerging opposition coalition ahead of the 2027 general election.
Adeyanju told THE WHISTLER on Tuesday shortly after Atiku resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the third time.
He had resigned from the PDP in 2007 to contest the presidential election under the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).
He also contested the presidential ticket of the then newly formed All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2014 but lost to former president Muhammadu Buhari.
He rejoined the PDP shortly after losing that ticket to contest the 2019 election and elected to contest the election with former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi.
Ahead of the 2027 election, he has joined forces with Obi, former Senate President; Atiku Abubakar, former Kaduna governor; Nasir el-Rufai, former transport minister; Rotimi Amaechi, among others, to form a coalition which has adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
On Wednesday, his letter of resignation dated July 14, 2025, was shared by his special assistant on media, Abdul Rasheeth, on social media.
Atiku said he found “it necessary to part ways due to the current trajectory the party has taken, which I believe diverges from the foundational principle we stood for.
“It is with a heavy heart that I resign, recognising the irreconcilable differences that have emerged.”
Weighing in, Adeyanju said, “As of today, Atiku will secure the coalition ticket easily. I don’t see others putting in the work to stop him,” Adeyanju wrote.
According to him, Atiku’s political experience, national reach, and deep-rooted alliances within the northern political bloc give him an edge over other contenders in any unified opposition movement.
He warned those seeking to bypass internal party negotiations and consensus-building that “coalition politics” is not about entitlement.
“They want the easy way out, like the charade that happened between Obi and Pat Utomi in the Labour Party primaries during the last election,” he said, referring to the 2022 Labour Party consensus arrangement that saw Obi emerge as the party’s flagbearer.
Adeyanju further argued that while Atiku can indeed be defeated in a primary contest, such an outcome would require coordinated strategy, alliances, and coalition-building, especially from southern and northern power blocs willing to challenge the status quo.
“Atiku can be defeated in primaries, like in the 2014 APC primaries. Wike almost stopped him if not for the Tambuwal last-minute joker,” he recalled, citing past political intrigues that nearly cost Atiku a party ticket.
He advised Obi and his supporters to stop demanding a “free ticket” or waiting for sympathy, urging them instead to engage in real political groundwork across Nigeria’s geopolitical zones, particularly in the North.
“Form alliances with the northern key stakeholders and stop him instead of crying on Twitter that you should be given a free ticket.
“This is a coalition, not the Labour Party. If you want a free ticket, go back to LP,” he warned.
